2015: best hairstyles

One Direction rebel Zayn Malik has had a big year, leaving the band to focus on his solo career. His hair has arguably had a bigger year, though, being chopped and changed into a variety of styles and colors. So much so that, when we tallied the votes for the finest new cuts of 2015, the top five places were all nabbed by Zayn.

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Man bun

The rise of the man bun needs no explaining. The hairstyle rose to prominence in 2015 with men across the country trying their hand at twisting up their locks into a topknot — some with better results than others. The style is one that Zayn rocked back in December 2014 through to early 2015 and — surprise! — he rocked it well. Keeping things slick and styled, the then-directioner initially went with a more ponytail-esque bun, giving him a more mature look, before adapting it with a bang-on-trend undercut. To everyone who tried and failed at the style this year, there's a lot to learn from how Zayn bossed the man bun.

Picture: Rex

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Buzz cut season

After quitting One Direction, Zayn reiterated the change with a switch up in hairstyle. Saying goodbye to the topknot, he shaved it all off and opted for a grade one all over. With next to no work needed to produce a consistent hairstyle every day, you can understand why the buzzcut would be an attractive option. It was a bold move and the change was a shock to many, but it's a 'do that seems to suit the newly-solo singer, offering a cool, enigmatic edge.

Picture: Getty

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Bleached

Fast-forward to June and Zayn's short cut was going as strong as ever. But, clearly not completely satisfied with the overall effect and wanting another change, he bleached his hair blonde. As if there wasn't enough shock when he ditched his man bun, this sent fans off the charts. The shock chop coincided with Zayn's choice to rock some brave, high-end designer gear such as a Louis Vuitton silk shirt and highlighted the fact he can do whatever he likes now he's flying solo.

Picture: Getty

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Short back and sides

On to August and it seems Zayn had got all of the things he wanted to do — but couldn't while he was in One Direction — out of his system and was showing signs of settling back into our recognizable Zayn. Ditching his experimental side, he reverted back to a standard short back and sides, the male go-to 'do, and dyed his hair back to dark brown. It may not be as radical a change as we had seen throughout the year, but he suits the simple style well.

Picture: Getty

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Silver

As the anticipation began to build around a teaser of some new solo music, Zayn revealed a final hairstyle for 2015 and it was one that saw fan girls drop heart-eyed emojis and "I can't evens" all over Twitter. Going all grandpa on us, Zayn dyed his hair silver, trumping his blonde antics of the summer and suggesting a space-age new style direction. It seems Gigi Hadid is a fan of the gray locks too, stepping out with Zayn recently and confirming the pair are now together. It's been a crazy year, not just for Zayn's life and career, but also his hair. What's next? Cornrows? Curtains? Let's hope not.